Shiites, Sunnis Threaten Gov't Formation

Shiites, Sunnis Threaten Gov't Formation

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA and TAREK EL-TABLAWY
The Associated Press
Sunday, May 14, 2006; 7:39 AM

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Efforts to create a national unity government in Iraq stumbled Sunday
as a member of an influential Shiite alliance bloc threatened to form a new government
unilaterally if rival groups did not scale back their demands. Sunnis said they may
withdraw from the process entirely.

Under the constitution, Prime Minister-designate Nouri al-Maliki faces a May 22 deadline
to form a government. Lawmakers have struggled with this task for months, hoping a new
government will cool escalating sectarian tensions between Iraq's Shiite majority and
the Sunni Arab minority.

As the 275-member parliament convened Sunday, Bahaa al-Araji, a lawmaker loyal to the
radical anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, denounced what he said was continued
U.S. meddling in the selection of ministers for coveted Interior and Defense Ministry posts.
He set a deadline of two days before the 130 alliance deputies act unilaterally.

Sunni lawmakers shot back with their own threats, with one member of the three-party
Sunni Arab coalition that holds 44 seats threatening to walk out of the talks and the
government.